Yes, California is notoriously beautiful, and yes the hills of the Tri-City Area are delicious to ponder, teddy bear brown one season, emerald green the next. But there are other places that can be equally beautiful. And if you are somewhere else, then you can (or should) leave your business and your worries behind, even if for only a few days.

I'm in the western mountains of Virginia this week, living in an old farmhouse with six other women, all writers. We’ve been meeting here for years, and most of us come back each summer after summer after summer.